nd half broad, being of
some considerable height, and environed with rocky cliffs, except in one
place at the east end, where the only fresh-water torrent of the isle
falls down from the rocks into the sea. The top of the island is nearly
flat, with a sandy soil, which produces three or four kinds of low small
trees, not known in Europe, and these trees are much overgrown with
moss. Among these trees the surface is covered with pretty good grass,
especially in the beginning of the year, but there are no land animals
to feed upon it, the great number of goats that used to be found here
formerly being all destroyed. Is has, however, a great number of the
birds named Boobies and Man-of-war birds. Some say that this island got
the name _Isola de Plata_ from the Spaniards, from the circumstance of
Sir Francis Drake having carried to this place their ship the Cacafoga,
richly laden with silver, which they name _Plata_.

The anchorage is on the east side, about the middle of the island, close
to the shore, within two cables length of the sandy bay, in eighteen or
twenty fathoms, fast ooze, and smooth water, the S.E. point of the
island keeping off the force of the south wind which usually blows here.
In this sandy bay there is good landing, and indeed it is the only place
which leads into the island. A small shoal runs out about a quarter of a
mile from the east point of the island, on which shoal there is a great
rippling of the sea when the tide flows. The tide here has a strong
current, setting to the south with the flood, and to the north when it
ebbs. At this east point also there are three small high rocks, about a
cable's length from the shore; and three much larger rocks at the N.E.
point. All round the isle the water is very deep, except at the
before-mentioned anchorage. Near the shoal there are great numbers of
small sea-tortoises, or turtle, formerly mentioned as found at the
Gallapagos. This island of _Plata_ is four or five leagues W.S.W. from
Cape _San Lorenzo_.

After remaining one day at this isle, we continued our voyage to Cape
_Santa Helena_, in lat. 2 deg. 8' S. This cape appears high and flat,
resembling an island, covered on the top with thistles, and surrounded
by low grounds, but without any trees. As it jets far out to sea, it
forms a good bay on its north side, a mile within which is a wretched
Indian village on the shore, called also Santa Helena; but the ground in
its neighbourhood, though low, is